Compound support for motion-picture-projection machines



A. DINA Sept. 15, 1930;

COMPOUND SUPPORT FOR MQTION PICTURE PROJECTION MACHINES Filed Sept. 1, 192'?" 2 shut sheet 1 A. DINA Sept. 16, 1930.

COMPOUND SUPFORT FOR MOTION PICTURE PROJECTION IAGHINES Filed sein. 1, 1927 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE AUGUSTO DINA, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL PRO- JECTOR CORPORATION, OF N YORK,

N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE COMPOUNIO SUPPORT FOR MOTIO NPICTURE-PROJECTION MACHINES Application filed September This invention relates to adjustable supports or standards, for machines and more particularly to a new and improved type of pedestal adapted to firmly support motion picture projecting machines and to permit of angular adjustment thereof while maintaining the center of gravity of the entire machine as low as possible.

Motion picture projecting apparatus com- 1 prising a lamp house, projection head and upper and lower film magazines is commonly mounted upon a standard and provided with means for varying the angular position of the various devices whereby theline of projection of the apparatus may be controlled. In cases where the lamp house is mounted upon a pivotal frame which is partly balanced by the projection head and film magazines, the center of gravity of the machine will be raised when the line of projection is pointed downwardly due to the fact that the lamp house is considerably heavier than the other pieces of apparatus, and is commonly supported at a greater distance from the pivotal point of the frame.

It is essential in machines of this type to eliminate all vibrations which may be caused by the apparatus itself, or which may be transmitted to the apparatus from the floor. Obviously, if the center of gravity is raised the moment of the entire machine is increased and vibrations will occur more readily.

In accordance with the present invention the lamp house together with the projection head and film magazines are mounted upon a frame which is supported by a pair of pedestals longitudinally spaced apart. One pedestal for example may be located between the lamp house and projection head, whereas the other pedestal may be located at a point near the rear portion of the lamp house. Independent means are provided for adjusting the height of the two pedestals wherebv the line of projection may be varied at will, and after the required line of projection is obtained, means is provided for simultaneously adjusting the two pedestals by equal amounts. The whole machine may therefore be raised or lowered as a unit without varying the augularity thereof or the line of 1, 1927. Serial N0. 216,797.

projlection may beangularly varied as desire Although the novel featuers which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be specifically pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which like reference characters have been used to denote like parts in the various figures. Since such illustration is, however, primarily for purposes of disclosure, it will be understood that the structure and the method of operation thereof may be modified in various respects without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention.

One embodimentof the invention has been shown for purposes of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of a motion picture projecting machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the supporting pedestals;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the machine adjusted to have a downwardly extending line of projection;

Fig. 4- is a section takenon the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing details of the pedestal adjusting mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the 'clutchmechanism for locking the two pedestal adjusting means; and

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the clutch.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the following description and in the claims parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

Referring to the figures more in detail, the invention which has been shown as applied to a motion picture projecting machine .com-

be of any desired form for securing the necessary rigidity of the entire assembly. Pedestals 10 and 11 are provided with telescoping members 13 and 14 which are adapted to slide longitudinally of members 10 and 11 and to be adjusted in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Frame 15 supporting lamp house 16, projection head 17, upper film magazine 18, lower film magazine 19 and switch box 20 are supported from the top of slidable members 13 and 14 by pivotal connections 21 and 22 respectively. Pivotal connection 21 may comprise a tubular member 23 adapted to slide longitudinally uponframe 15 to compensate for the variations in distance between pivotal points 21 and 22 as the frame is angularly adjusted.

Members 13 and 14 may be provided with racks 3O meshing with gear wheels 31, which arein turn driven by worm gears 32 operated by hand wheels 33, said gears being mounted upon suitable framework 34 attached to pedestal memberslO and 11. Vertical adjustment may, therefore, be obtained by rotating hand wheel 33. which through worm gear 32 drives gear 31 co-operating with rack 30. Accidental movement of said rack due to the weight or vibration of the machine itself will. however, be prevented since the worm drive will be substantially non-reversible.

Suitable means such as rods 40 extending between pedestals 10 and 11, may be geared to hand wheels 33 as by spur gears 41 rigidlysecured thereto. Rods 40 may be coupled together by suitable clutch mechanism. as for example, sleeve 42 which may be rigidly secured to one of said-rods as by rivet 43 and provided with a thumb nut 44 co-operating with the other of said rods for clamping said sleeve 42 thereto.

When rods 40 have been secured together by suitable manipulation of clutch member 42, rotation of one of the hand wheels will impart movement to the above described gears attached to each of said pedestals and will cause sections 13 and 14 to be moved simultaneously. 'The entire apparatus may, thus. be raised or lowered as a unit without varying the angularity of the line of proection.

In the operation of the above described device. the desired angularity of the line of projection of the machine may be obtained by independently adjusting pedestals 10 and 11 to the required heights whereby pivotal points 21 and 22 may he raised or lowered and frame 15 tilted accordingly. The entire adjustment may be made by either of the above mentioned pedestals. or may be accomplished by raising one pedestal while simultaneously lowering the other. It should, however, be obtained without raising the center of gravity of the entire machine.

After the pedestals have been adjusted asabove described and the required angularity obtained, the two controlling wheels 38 may be interlocked by clutch member 42 and thereafter the entire machine raised or lowered as a unit. The line of projection will then be moved parallel to itself and the picture correspondingly displaced upon the distantly located screen.

Since motion picture projection machines are commonly located at the top and rear of the theatre, it is necessary to operate the machines with the line of projection extending angularly downward. The present invention provides means for so adjusting the machine, while maintaining the center of gravity at a height equal to or less than, that which would he obtained were the machine projecting hori Zontally. Furthermore, the two pedestal members impart increased rigidity to the device and further prevent vibrations from being transmitted from the floor to the machine, as well as preventing the machine from shaking due to its own inherent qualities.

This is particularly important in motion picture machines. since the distance from the machine to the screen is such that all movements of the machine are greatly amplified. Any slight vibrations which may occur would consequently be transmitted to the screen as an undesirable shaking of the picture.

By providing the interlocking clutch mechanism the line of pojection, having once been obtained, may be maintained throughout the entire operation of the machine, and any further adjustments which become necessary may be made by vertically adjusting the entire machine without angularly varying the line of projection.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification. a practical commercial embodiment of the invention is shown, but as such illustration is primarily for purposes of disclosure, it will be understood that the structure may be modified in various respects without departure from the broad spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A support for a motion picture projection machine comprising a plurality of spaced pedestals, means for independently varying the height of each of said pedestals, and means for interlocking said first mentioned means whereby the height of said pedestals may be varied simultaneously.

2. A support for a motionpicture projecting apparatus eompr'isinga framework for supporting said apparatus. and means for adjustahly supporting said framework comprising a pair of upstanding pedestals, said pedestals being slidably adjustable in a vertical direction, means for independently adjusting said pedestalscomprising a rack and gear wheel secured to each pedestal and means for inter-connecting said adjusting means whereby said pedestals may be adjusted simultaneously.

3. A support for a picture projecting apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced pedestals, means for vertically adjusting said pedestals, means for controlling said adjustment of each of said pedestals, and means for interlocking said controlling means whereby they may be simultaneously operated, said interlocking means and; said controlling means being mounted in the vertical plane of said pedestals whereby they are readily accessible from both sides of said apparatus.

4. Ina projection machine, a pedestal lever adapted to support a lamphouse and a proj ection head, a pair of pedestals pivotally connected to said lever, one of said pedestals being connected between the lamphouse and the projection head, the other of said pedestals being connected near the rear of the lamphouse, a base carrying said pedestals and forming in conjunction therewith and with said lever a quadrilateral, said pedestals being independently adjustable in a vertical direction and means carried by each pedestal for independently controlling the adjustment thereof.

AUGUSTO DINA. 

